Written Answers Wednesday 11 July 2007

Scottish Executive

Digital Technology

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-456 by Jim Mather on 8 June 2007, which members of the public and potential suppliers are being consulted on extending access to broadband technology.

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-456 by Jim Mather on 8 June 2007, when the consultation on extending access to broadband technology will end.

Jim Mather: The Executive has now completed its consultation events with both the industry and the public.

  A consultation was held on 8 May with potential broadband suppliers from across the UK. Two further consultation meetings took place on 18 May and 7 June with invited representatives from the larger clusters affected by the broadband reach issue, which are known to the Executive. Further information on event participants can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/BroadbandforScotland/SEBroadbandInitiatives/LatestNewsAnnouncements.

  We are currently examining the consultation feedback. This will inform our policy approach to addressing the broadband reach issue.

  We will announce our way forward in the coming months.

Employment

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that, on the FSB Scotland Index of Success 2007, Scotland ranks eighth out of 24 OECD countries in terms of the working age employment rate.

John Swinney: The FSB Index of Success states that Scotland ranks seventh out of 24 OECD countries in terms of the working age employment rate.

Enterprise

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its priorities are for the north Ayrshire economy.

John Swinney: We are committed to focus government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish through improving our rate of sustainable economic growth.

  We will outline the details of how this will be realised in our New Economic Approach, which will be developed this autumn. This will focus on many of the issues raised in the parliamentary debate on the Wealthier and Fairer theme that took place on 30 May.

Enterprise

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department of Trade and Industry in relation to its on-going investigation into the circumstances surrounding the closure of the Simclar factories in Irvine and Kilwinning in January 2007 and, in particular, whether the investigation will consider the closure against the framework of the EU Information and Consultation Directive.

Jim Mather: There have been no further discussions with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in relation to the circumstances surrounding the closure of the Simclar facilities in Ayrshire. The situation remains that information about Simclar is being assessed by the companies investigation branch of the DTI with a view to making a decision about whether to investigate. But that decision, and the process of investigation itself if an investigation is proceeded with, will, as usual, remain confidential.

Nursing

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the statement in the Howat Report that a reduction in the drop-out rate of student nurses to 15% and the improvement of postgraduate retention would achieve an annual saving of £26 million.

John Swinney: The Budget Review report will contribute to our strategic thinking around the Spending Review . It would be inappropriate to comment on the detail or pre-empt any commitment ahead of Spending Review 2007 .

Planning

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether current planning law permits planning applications to be determined by the outcome of a referendum of a local population.

Stewart Stevenson: Planning applications under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 are determined by planning authorities or, where cases are called in, by Scottish ministers. Under section 25 of that act, such applications must be determined in accordance with the appropriate development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Scottish Planning Policy 1 indicates the scope of material considerations.

  The Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006 will, when in force, amend section 25 of the 1997 act to take account of national developments as designated in the National Planning Framework. This will not, however, alter the underlying principle.

  In determining applications for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act, Scottish ministers will take into account all material considerations. A referendum of a local population would be a material consideration. The weight to be attached to a referendum in making a determination under Planning of Electricity legislation will be for the decision maker.

Roads

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports a reduction in motorway and trunk road maintenance to £50 million per annum, as identified in the Howat report.

Stewart Stevenson: The Budget Review report will contribute to our strategic thinking around the Spending Review. It would be inappropriate to comment on the detail or pre-empt any commitment ahead of Spending Review 2007 .

Tourism

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the key areas of growth for the tourism sector in the next 10 years.

Jim Mather: The key areas for growth in the tourism sector are greater productivity and increased investment for expansion. As with most business models, a number of different drivers are required to influence that growth. These include: better capacity utilisation; greater cross-selling; market positioning; effective marketing by the public and private sectors, and capital investment.